Volunteers train pups to service the disabled

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Eight years ago, when Margie McDonnell brought a black Labrador into her home, she felt as nervous as a new mom. It was one thing to be with the dog in the presence of trainers. It was quite another to have him as a permanent member of the household.

But it didn't take long for the dog, Eureka, to become an integral part of the family and inseparable from McDonnell's daughter Rosemary, now 15.

Rosemary's companion dog goes with her to classes at MiraCosta College and to an independent study program in Vista. He accompanies her to the library and the mall. He has been at her bedside at Rady Children's Hospital, where Rosemary underwent surgery for osteogenesis imperfecta, a condition that causes extremely fragile bones.

He sits by her side while she plays guitar in her school band.

“He rocks out with me,” she said.

Recently, Rosemary sat on the floor in an expansive room at Canine Companions for Independence, the nonprofit agency that gave her Eureka. The dog rested by her side as she gently stroked his head.

“I think we started bonding during training at CCI,” Rosemary said as she recalled the two weeks of working with Eureka before she brought him home.

“I knew we had a connection right away. He understands me. He's really active around my brother and my mother and friends. With me, he knows that he has to be careful.”

Each year, the Canine Companions for Independence's Oceanside-based Southwest division gives about 40 dogs to people with disabilities. They include adults and children with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, hearing impairments or developmental delays.

Some service dogs are trained to flip light switches, pick up keys and open doors. Others are trained to assist people with hearing impairment by alerting their masters to ringing phones, doorbells and crying children.

In addition to companion dogs, the agency trains facility dogs to work in schools, nursing homes and other institutions.

Volunteer puppy raisers lay the foundation for training the dogs. There are about 200 dedicated volunteers in the Southwest division and 40 in the San Diego area. They care for the dogs during their first 12 to 18 months, teaching them the basics before returning them to CCI for advanced training.

Lynn Elliott of Vista is a veteran puppy trainer who is raising her fifth dog, an 11-month-old golden retriever named Amya.

“I knew even as a teenager that I wanted to help raise a dog. Maybe it was a book on guide dogs that influenced me,” she said.

Amya accompanies Elliott, a part-time nurse, when she goes to the library, bank and grocery store.

“It's about basic obedience, learning manners in public, waiting patiently and having an easy and pleasant disposition,” she said.

Volunteers hoping to become puppy trainers go through an extensive screening process, including interviews and home visits.

“We have been fortunate with volunteers,” said Stuart Wahrenbrock, puppy training manager. “But we are always on the lookout for new ones. You can never have too many.”

Puppy trainer Willie Crawford is now caring for a 15-week-old black Lab.

“It's like having a baby that doesn't wear diapers and runs around the house,” she said.

For the Del Mar resident, puppy raising for Canine Companions is a labor of love.

“Somebody's got to do it. I have the time and skills,” said Crawford, who is retired.

“It's all worth it when you see the smiles and the change in the people who receive the dogs. It's great if I can have a little part in making their lives easier.”

Although she is now training her sixth puppy, Crawford said letting them go doesn't get any easier.

“It's like sending a child off to college,” she said. “It's a bittersweet time. You are happy and excited for them, but it leaves an empty spot.”